Following the Yankees losing the World Series to the Dodgers, Los Angeles reliever Joe Kelly is adding insult(s) to injury.
“It was a mismatch from the get-go,” Kelly said on his Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast. “If we had a playoff reranking, they might be ranked the eighth-or ninth-best playoff team. You’re putting the Padres ahead of them, you’re putting the Phillies ahead of them, you’re putting the Mets ahead of them, you’re putting the Braves ahead of them. They just got unlucky because they had to play that doubleheader. The Guardians played like crap, but the Guardians played better defense and better baseball all around.”
Of the team’s Kelly referenced:
The Mets lost to the Dodgers in six games in the NLCS
The Guardians lost to the Yankees in five games in the ALCS
The Padres lost to the Dodgers in five games in the NLDS
The Phillies lost to the Mets in four games in the NLDS
The Braves lost to the Padres in two games in the Wild Card Series
Added Kelly about the Dodgers’ World Series triumph, which was accomplished in five games:
“It was a complete mismatch. All we knew is that we had to play regular Dodger baseball. … we didn’t have to do anything crazy, and we were going to win the World Series.
“Look at the team, look at the talent. We go through numerous scouting reports. We pay attention to every single detail. We have a lot of big superstars in our clubhouse, but our superstars also care and aren’t lazy and play hard. That’s the difference, and the biggest separator.”
Right after the World Series ended, as the Dodgers were celebrating on the field at Yankee Stadium, Kelly criticized New York’s poor defense.
“They got bad ball. Yeah, sloppy. Everyone knows that,” he said. “We were saying every single game. ‘Just let them throw the ball into the infield, they can’t make a play.’ You saw Shohei get an extra base going to third off a sloppy Gleyber play. It’s well known. We all knew.”
The Yankees’ poor defense helped do them in during their Game 1 loss in Los Angeles, and allowed things to unravel in Game 5.
With New York up, 5-0, a dropped would-be fly out by Aaron Judge in center field and a throwing error on Anthony Volpe at shortstop opened the door. While not charged as an error, Gerrit Cole failing to cover first base on a ground ball to first baseman Anthony Rizzo extended the inning and allowed the floodgates to open.
Kelly, who had a 4.78 ERA in 35 appearances during the regular season, did not pitch in the playoffs for the Dodgers due to a shoulder injury.
